Becky Defoe is the lone Oregon State senior student-athlete this season and will be honored prior to the team's match against Stanford Saturday night. That match begins at 7 p.m. PT and fans are encouraged to be in their seats at Gill Coliseum by 6:45 p.m. for the ceremony.

A Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honoree earlier this season, Defoe leads the team in digs and is well known for her hustle on the court. Despite being more comfortable on the court than in front of a camera or microphone, Defoe is always willing to talk about the sport she loves.

The senior libero has been a mainstay in the classroom and on the volleyball court in her three previous seasons on the OSU campus.

“I was a business major my first term here,” she said. “I kind of forget that I’m a senior because there are so many girls older than me.”

Being a student-athlete is not new to Defoe; she was a three sport athlete at Summit High School in Bend. Having been home schooled from seventh through 12th grade, Defoe completed her high school studies earlier than many others her age. Heading to OSU as a very young freshman was something Defoe said wasn’t always easy but, as she has always been, she was up to the challenge.

Time management is a skill she has honed in her four years on the volleyball team. It is a balancing act that she is comfortable with.

“I can’t imagine life without volleyball in college,” Defoe said.

In addition to playing the game she clearly loves, it also has given her a great group of teammates and coaches who have helped her grow and become the young woman she is today.

Unlike many major college players, Defoe chose not to play club volleyball in high school.

Instead of dedicating all of her time to just one sport and traveling to tournaments and clinics almost every weekend, Defoe instead only played during the high school season. This gave her time to pursue her other loves - basketball and softball.

“I wouldn’t trade club for my other sports in high school,” she said

Defoe, Oregon State’s record holder for digs in a single season and a career, takes pride in keeping teams from scoring. She’s been pretty good at it, too, with nearly 2,000 digs for her career.

“I’ve always been a defensive player,” she said. “I like getting dirty. I guess it kind of runs in the family.”

As Defoe alluded to above, it’s hard to believe that she’s a senior and will be graduating soon.

It’s been quite the ride, something she will celebrate Saturday during the team’s Senior Day before Oregon State hosts Stanford.

“I can’t imagine not having volleyball to come to college with,” Defoe said. “I’ve had a great four years.”

She credits her teammates and the coaching staff for making the four years great ones that will remain firmly planted in her memories as she graduates and moves on with her life.